Jan. 18, 1896.J 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
May 1, so to be amended as to stop all shooting of wild- 
fowl on Long Island after March 1. 
Meadow Hens. — Sec. 175, which now provides that 
the close season on meadow hens from Aug. 16 to Dec. 31 , 
to be amended so as to make the open season for meadow 
hens from Aug. 16 to Dec. 31. 
Quail.— Sec. 72, which makes the open season for 
quail Nov. 1 to Jan. 1, to be amended so as to make the 
open season from Sept. 1 to Jan. 1. Sec. 73, which pro- 
vides for a close season on quail in many of the counties 
of central New York extending to Nov. 1, 1898, to be 
amended so as to repeal all existing limitations forbidding 
the killing of quail before 1898. 
Woodcock, Ruffed Grouse. — Sec. 74, which now pro- 
vides an open season for woodcock and ruffed grouse from 
Aug. 16 to Dec. 31, to be amended so as to make the open 
season from Sept. 1 to Jan. 1. 
Sale, of Woodcock and Grouse. — Sec. 75, which per- 
mits the possession and sale of woodcock and grouse from 
Aug. 16 to Jan. 31, to be amended so as to limit possession 
to ten days after the close of the season. 
Transportation of Woodcock and Grouse. — Sec. 76 
to be amended so as to prohibit the transportation of 
woodcock and grouse, unless accompanied by the actual 
owner. 
Snipe. — Sec. 77, which makes the open season for snipe 
and shore birds from Aug. 1 to May 1, to be amended so 
as to make the season from Aug. 31 to March 1. 
Sec. [100, relative to the pollution of streams, which 
reads: 
No dyestuff, coal tar, refuse from gas houses, sawdust, shavings, 
tan bark, lime or other deleterious or poisonous substances shall be 
thrown or allowed to run into any of the waters of this State, either 
private or public, in quantities destructive to the life of fish inhabit- 
ing the same, 
to be amended so as to remove the present limitation by 
erasing the words "in quantities destructive to the life of 
fish inhabiting the same." 
Black Bass in St. Lawrence River. — Sec. 110 to be 
amended by striking out the words "in St. Lawrence 
River" from the title of the section, as the waters of the 
St. Lawrence are not referred to in the body of the sec- 
tion. 
Black Bass Size. — Sec. Ill, which prescribes 8in. as 
the legal length of bass, to be so amended as to make the 
length lOin. 
Muskallonge.— Sec. 112, which provides a penalty of $25 
for each violation and $10 for each fish illegally caught, 
Bo^to be amended as to make the penalty for each fish $25 
instead of $10. 
Sec. 132, which in its present form reads as follows: 
No fish Bhall be fished for, caught or killed in any manner or by any 
device except angling, in the waters of Lake Erie, within one-half of 
a mile of the shores thereof, or of any of the islands therein, nor in 
the Cattaraugus Creek, or within five miles of the mouth thereof, or 
of any island therein; nor in Lalie Ontario, within one mile of the 
shore, or of any island therein, nor within three miles of the mouth of 
the Niagara Biver, the waters' of Lake Ontario in the county of Jeffer- 
son, included between Blue Bock Point, in the town of Brownville, and 
the town line between the towns of Lyme and Cape Vincent, including 
Chaumont Bay, Griffin Bay and Three Mile Bay. in the county of Os- 
wego, between the northerly line of the town of Mexico and Jefferson 
county line, are hereby exempt from the provisions of this act, * * * 
to be amended so as to prohibit all netting, except one 
mile from shore, in Lake Ontario and all of its bays, in the 
Niagara River or within three miles from its mouth, or in 
Lake Erie within one mile from shore, or within three 
miles of the Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse. 
Meshes of Nets. — Sec. 134, which provides that the 
meshes of nets used in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and 
the Cattaraugus Creek shall not be less than l^in. bar, to 
be amended to make the legal mesh not less than 2 Jin. a 
bar. 
Hudson River. — In Sec. 136, to erase the clause for- 
bidding all netting in the Hudson River, because it is per- 
mitted by the balance of the section. 
Ice Fishing. — Sec. 142, to be amended so as to erase 
the clause permitting spearing in Oneida Lake and Oneida 
River; to permit the catching of maskallonge in Decem- 
ber, January and February, and the exception in favor of 
Cortland county. 
Eel Weii^s. — Sec. 143, which now provides that weirs of 
which the laths are not less than £in. apart may be main- 
tained at any time in inland waters, to be amended so as 
to increase the space between the laths of eel weirs to lin. 
Minnows for Bait.— Sec. 145 to be amended so as to re- 
quire all bass, pike, wall-eyed pike or maskallonge, caught 
in minnow nets, to be put back. 
Nets. — Sees. 149 and 151 be repealed. They provide for 
the taking of frost and white fish from the waters of 
Otsego Lake and from inland lakes not inhabited by brook 
trout, during such times and in such manner as the Com- 
missioners may stipulate, and for the licensing of nets 
used for this purpose. This will stop all limited licensed 
netting, and prohibit the granting of licenses for netting 
in inland waters. 
Sec. 235 to be amended so as to provide that in all case3 
in which costs are not collected the witness fees and 
actual disbursements shall be a county charge and paid 
as other such charges are paid. 
Sale of Game. — It was unanimously resolved to urge the 
absolute repeal of Sec. 249, which permits the sale of game 
the year around. 
In addition to the foregoing, these recommendations 
were adopted: 
a. To provide for the payment of bounties for foxes, 
owls, hawks and cranes. 
o. To prohibit the exhibition or sale of brook trout dur- 
ing the first five days of the open season. 
c. To give protectors power to examine any boat or ve- 
hicle of any angler or hunter, or any box, locker, crate, 
basket or other package therein or in his possession, for 
the purpose of ascertaining whether any f provision of law 
has been violated. 
d. To establish a system of bounties to be paid to private 
individuals who may take nets in illegal use, graded 
according to the kind of net; each person to take such net 
before a justice, sheriff, deputy sheriff, supervisor or two 
taxpayers, destroy it in his presence, obtain from him a 
certificate of such destruction, and receive the bounty 
upon production of the certificate to the county treas- 
urer. 
The resolution introduced^by Mr. Wolcott, of Utica, 
was adopted: 
WJiereas, The Legislature of 1894 authorized the pur- 
chase of 75,000 acres of land within the boundaries of the 
Adirondack State Park, and Fish, Game and Forest Com- 
missioners and State Commissioners of the Land Office 
had since brought about the purchase, and 
Whereas, We believe this action to be in accord with 
the policy which the Association has for years earnestly 
advocated, viz. : The State ownership of the entire Adi- 
rondack region, therefore 
Resolved, That we hereby signify our hearty approval 
of said purchase and urgently request the present Legisla- 
ture and Commissioners above mentioned to take such 
steps as may be necessary to acquire additional lands in 
the Adirondacks as rapidly as possible, with a view that 
the whole wilderness may eventually be owned and pre- 
served as a public park for the benefit of the people of 
this great commonwealth. 
On motion of Mr. C. E. Gould this resolution was 
adopted: 
Resolved, That whereas it is the sense of this Association 
that all licensing of nets by the Commissioners of Game 
and Forests in the lakes and streams entirely within the 
boundaries of the State be prohibited; also that we request 
the said Commissioners not to issue any license to nets in 
said waters; also that the secretary notify said Commis- 
sioners at once. 
The committee on nominations, which was composed 
of R. P. Grant, of Alexandria Bay; C. B. Reynolds, of 
Fobest and Steeam, and H. S. Wood worth, recom- 
mended a re-election of the president and vice-president 
of the past year, and they were unanimously re-elected 
as follows: President, Frank J. Amsden, of Rochester; 
"Vice-President, Robert B. Lawrence, of the New York 
Association for the Protection of Game and Fish; Secre- 
tary and Treasurer, A. C. Cornwall, of the St. Lawrence 
Association, to succeed John B. Sage. 
Game Protector Pond and Commissioners Lyman and 
Babcock were made honorary members of the Association. 
Mr. Lyman made a brief address telling of the work of 
the State Commissioners and the difficulty which they 
encountered by reason of conflicting personal interests. 
He thought that there should be some common ground 
upon which the sporting and commercial interests ought 
to meet without friction. 
President Amsden appointed the following Legislative 
and Law committee: Chairman, Cornelius W. Smith, of 
Syracuse; Elon R. Brown, of Watertown, in place of J. S. 
Van Cleef ; Chas B. Lapham, of Canandaigua; Howard H. 
Widener, of Rochester, and Z. L. Parker, of Bath. The 
auditing committee are W. S. Gavitt, of Lyons; H. S. 
Wood worth, of Rochester, and W. H. Chase, of Lock- 
port. 
New York Legislative Committees. 
The New York Senate Committee on Forest, Fish and 
Game Laws is made up of Messrs. Hobart Krum, of 
Schoharie, chairman; Richard Higbie, of Babylon, L. I.; 
George Chahoon, of Ausable Forks; James Ballantine, of 
Andes; Charles Davis, of Saugerties; Frank Gallagher, of 
Brooklyn, and Timothy J. Sullivan, of New York. 
Assembly Committee on Fisheries and Game: Uriah S. 
Messiter, of Sullivan county; E. F. Post, of Suffolk; F. E. 
Laimbeer, of New York; M. N. Cole, of Wyoming; C. J. 
Clark, of Jefferson; John A. Hanna, of Dutchess; O. H. 
Springer, of Herkimer; H. W. McClellan, of Columbia; 
A. J. Galligan, of New York. 
ST. LAWRENCE RIVER WATERS. 
Bepobt of the New York Senate Committee on Fish 
and Game: 
To the Honorable the Senate of the State of New York: 
The Committee on Fish and Game, to whom authority 
was given to sit during the summer recess and visit such 
places as they might in their judgment deem best with a 
view to arranging, if possible, with the Dominion of 
Canada for a uniform system of laws for the common 
waters of the St. Lawrence, respectfully report as fol- 
lows: 
That in the month of August your committee attended 
a meeting of the Anglers' Association of the St. Lawrence 
River at Alexandria Bay, at which the Hon. Joseph 
Mullen was present, where the questions of needed legis- 
lation for the waters of the St. Lawrence were fully dis- 
cussed. A few days afterward your committee had a 
conference with Sir Adolph Coron, Acting Premier of the 
Dominion of Canada and Ottawa, at which were present 
several persons representing the fishery interests of 
Canada. 
At this conference Sir Adolph Coron -assured your com- 
mittee that we could rely upon the cordial co-operation 
of Canada in joining with the State of New York in the 
adoption of a uniform system of laws for the protection 
of the waters lying substantially between Cape Vincent 
and Kingston, at the head of the St. Lawrence, and Og- 
densburgh and Prescott down the river. 
Sir Adolph Coron was very earnest in the expressions 
of his desire that these common waters should be open to 
and enjoyed by the citizens of both countries and under 
the same privileges and restrictions as to the open and 
close seasons, the prohibition of fishing with nets and 
penalties for violations of the law, but was also clear and 
forcible in the expression of his opinion that it would be 
difficult to attain this object unless Canadian boatmen 
could be entitled to the same rights, privileges and cour- 
tesies in American waters that have been extended to 
American boatmen in Canadian waters. 
The attention of your committee was called again and 
again to the fact that the Alien Labor Contract Law has 
been interpreted and is being interpreted as applying to 
Canadian boatmen employed by American citizens, and 
that it was largely on account of this interpretation that 
a year ago a license fee of $5 was imposed upon Americans 
fishing on the Canadian side of the river, which license 
fee, however, has not been exacted during the past year 
in the belief that a more liberal course would be pursued 
by us in the future. 
As the Alien Labor Contract Law is a National Act, 
your committee was unable to give the Dominion author- 
ities any assurance as to its definition or modification with 
reference to these waters, but gave the assurance that 
they would use their best efforts to obtain such amend- 
ment, modification or definition of this law by the United 
States authorities for the purpose of exempting these com- 
mon waters wholly from the operation of this law as 
applied to persons visiting them for the purpose of recrea- 
tion or pleasure. 
As the law now stands, A merican citizens who employ 
Canadian boatmen in American waters are liable to the 
penalties of this law, and when they frequent the waters 
on the Canadian side with American boatmen they are 
liable to visitation by the Canadian authorities, and under 
a strict construction of Canadian law their boats may be 
seized and confiscated. 
Unless this evil can be remedied, your committee is 
impressed with the belief that much friction and trouble 
are liable to result in the near future, and as most of the 
persons who visit these waters and who have invested 
their money in summer residences on the islands therein 
are Americans, our own citizens will be the greatest suf- 
ferers, and your committee therefore suggests that prompt 
measures should be taken by the Legislature of this State 
to procure the exemption of these waters from the oper- 
ation of this law. 
If this object can be accomplished the committee is of 
the opinion that no obstacle will remain in the way of a 
uniform law which will be acceptable to and adopted 
by both the Dominion of Canada and the State of New 
York. 
After the conference at Ottawa your committee re- 
turned to Montreal, accompanied by Dr. Wakeham, 
representing the Dominion of Canada, for the purpose 
of preparing a uniform law to be submitted during the 
coming winter to the respective governments for adop- 
tion. 
For the purpose of this law it is proposed that the waters 
of the St. Lawrence on' the American side from Tibbets 
Point Light, four miles above Cape Vincent, to Ogdens- 
burgh, and from Snake Island Light, four miles above 
Kingston, to Prescott, on the Kingston side, shall consti- 
tute a special district, to be under the charge of special 
protectors on each side; that the open and close seasons on 
both sides shall be the same; that the penalties now pro- 
vided by the law of this State shall apply to all of these 
waters, and that net-fishing, except for the purpose of 
taking minnows for bait, shall be wholly abolished. 
Your committee is also impressed with the necessity of 
limiting and conforming practically to the present Cana- 
dian law as to the limit in the size and catch of the black 
bass, which is the principal fish in these waters. 
The waters in question constitute one vast spawning 
ground for the black bass of the eastern or lower portion 
of Lake Ontario. 
The bass descend the river in the early spring, and remain 
upon their spawning beds for the purpose of spawning and 
breeding their young until about the middle of June, and 
in many instances later, and then gradually work back 
toward Lake Ontario. 
The failure to place a restriction upon taking these fish 
as to size and numbers in the past has resulted in their 
very large depletion within the last few years, and these 
waters can only be restored to their former wealth by in- 
corporating in the law a proper limit both as to size and 
numbers. 
The Canadian authorities are willing to extend some- 
what the open season for taking black bass, allowing it to 
commence on June 10 instead of 15, as now provided by 
their law; but they insist, and in the judgment of your 
committee very justly, that their present limit of twelve 
fish to a rod and two rods to a boat, or twenty-four fish to 
a boat in a day, should be adopted by us, and also that no 
bass less than 12in. in length should be killed, which is 
about the size of a fish weighing lib. 
In the interview with Sir Adolph Coron he stated to 
your committee that it was the earnest desire of the 
Dominion of Canada that certain islands or portions of 
islands in the St. Lawrence River should be set apart by 
the respective countries for and dedicated as a perpetual 
public park without restriction to all persons, whatever 
might be their nationality, who might frequent the waters 
of the St. Lawrence in the future for the purpose of 
pleasure or recreation or as summer residents, and he as- 
sured your committee that the Canadian authorities 
would gladly co-operate with us in carrying this measure 
into effect by appropriating certain islands now within its 
waters if the boatmen of both countries could be relieved 
from the embarrassments which now so frequently arise 
under the present interpretation of the Alien Labor Con- 
tract Law. 
Your committee is advised that an effort in this direc- 
tion is now being made by the Anglers' Association of the 
St. Lawrence, and although this matter is not within the 
line of the duties imposed upon them, they recommend 
that such proposition, if any, as may be made in this 
direction should be most cordially and favorably consid- 
ered by the Legislature of this State. 
Your committee also desires to call attention to the 
present lack of facilities for discovering and punishing 
violations of the present laws for the regulation of fishing 
in the St. Lawrence, for the reason that the protectors 
have not at present the means provided for detecting or 
catching persons while actually engaged in violation of 
the law, especially in regard to fishing with nets, and 
unless such violators can be caught in the act it is very 
difficult to obtain sufficient evidence to insure their con- 
viction. 
If the protector in charge of this section could be pro- 
vided with a swift steam yacht it would be possible for 
him at all times to overhaul and examine the contents of 
any boat engaged in fishing, for the purpose of ascertain- 
ing whether the law was being violated not only as to 
fishing with nets, but as to the number and size of the 
fish taken by angling. 
Your committee feel assured that if such a yacht will 
be provided by this State for use in the waters on our side 
of the line, the Dominion of Canada will make like pro- 
vision for the enforcement of the law and the detection 
of violators of it in its own waters, and your committee 
therefore earnestly recommends that the Board of Fisher- 
ies, Game and Forest of this State may be authorized to 
procure a steam yacht to be used for such purpose, and 
that a reasonable appropriation be made for that pur- 
pose. 
For the purpose of carrying into effect the results ar- 
rived at by your committee in its conference with Dr. 
Wakeham, at Montreal, for the purpose of establishing a 
uniform law to apply to the waters in question, an addi- 
tional article to be added to the present fish and game 
law is herewith submitted. 
This article defines the waters in question and applies 
exclusively to them, and your committee feels assured 
that the provisions of this article will be acceptable to and 
adopted by the Dominion of Canada if adopted in this 
State 
Such proposed amendments to the present law as will 
be necessary to make it cunform to the proposed new arti- 
cle are also herewith respectfully submitted. 
Datkd Peq 31. 1895, 
